ROYALTIES COME WITH RESPONSIBILITIES, SAYS SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LEADER

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An Adnyamathanha leader from South Australia has said Traditional Owners who receive royalties have a responsibility to give back to their communities and country.

Order of Australia recipient Glenise Coulthard is the longest-serving director of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and was the first Aboriginal person to be elected to its board.

Mrs Coulthard said First Nations people should serve their communities.

“If you’re receiving royalties, and regardless of whether you’re receiving royalties I must say, you’ve got a responsibility to preserve and protect,” she said.

“So you need to go back to country, you need to attend funerals, you need to pay your respect to elders, you need to go to general meetings and have your say.

“Make sure your voice and your vote are counted.

“You can’t just sit back and just get royalties, you’ve gotta also give back to the community and to your nation.”